Amelia Merlin

Part Sixty: dinner with mother

A/n hello everyone! Hope you're having an amazing day!

The girls sat around the grand chestnut table. There were five different forks, three crystal glasses each and exquisite china plates.

"Really mother, this is unnecessary." Amelia rolled her eyes at the table, which although spectacular, was set for a king, not three teenage girls.

"I will have only the best for my daughter and her friends." She picked at the salad in front of her.

"Whatever." Amelia grumbled, her mother put her fork down rather forcefully.

"Attitude Amelia!" She snapped and Amelia glared at her before stabbing the leaves on her plate.

"Are you excited for your birthday?" Parvati asked in a gracious attempt to ease the tension.

"Yeah should be fun. But it's the first birthday I can remember that the Weasleys won't be at." She smiled lightly.

"For goodness sake, Amelia." Her mother rolled her eyes. "The Weasleys are just your friends. Their not actually family."

"Better family than you are." Amelia growled under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." She seethed. Amelia wanted to punch her mother in the throat with a cactus.

"That's what I thought."

Lavender chimed in. "I would have loved to see the Weasleys, they are such a fun time. Especially Fred and George! I'm so jealous Amelia is such good friends with them. They are so funny."

"Do you often get jealous of Amelia?" Mrs Merlin said kindly but ice shot through the air and Lavender just looked at her plate and bit her lip.

"I think we will have a good time here with the three of us!" Parvati added. "And I was thinking we could send owls to a few people and have a small lunch get together for a few hours. What do you think?"

Amelia beamed at her friends, appreciative of everything they were doing to ease the situation. "I think it's a great idea!"

"Who do we want to come?" Lavender clapped her hands in glee.

"Well Cedric, obviously." Parvati giggled. "And the boys."

"Who do you mean by the boys?" Said Amelia.

Lavender gushed, "Well Dean and Seamus and Neville. And I guess Oliver too."

"Of course Oliver's coming." She waved her hand dismissavly. "He's the best."

"Yes we all know how Amelia likes her boys!" Her mother laughed dryly.

Amelia's jaw clenched and her hands shook, she was about to open her mouth but Lavender stepped in. "Everyone likes Amelia too. She's such a gem!"

"Everyone either wants her or wants to be her!" Parvati laughed.

"Stop it!" Amelia laughed and shushed them.

"She does love the attention." Mrs Merlin raised her eyebrows. The girls all stared at their plates and no one said a word.

"You know," Parvati tried again to make pleasant conversation. "I think we could do maybe a fancy luncheon. What do you guys think? The house is more than grand enough and everyone could dress up nicely?"

"Oh I would love that!" Lavender enthused. "We could have so much fun dressing up and decorating!"

"It's settled then." Amelia beamed at her friends. "We can send out the invitations tonight!"

"I have a fancy quill we could use!" Parvati said.

"Oh this is going to be such fun!" Lavender clapped her hands together and bounced slightly in her seat. The rest of the dinner went smoothly with a few low-key rude comments from Amelia's mother. That night the girls sent out invitations to Dean, Seamus, Neville, Oliver, Hermione, and Harry. Lavender wanted it to be all Gryffindor people but Amelia said she wasn't going to have a party without Oliver.

"But it's not a party! It's just a small get together!"

"I don't care." Said Amelia firmly. "Oliver's coming." Lavender rolled her eyes and addressed one to him anyways.

The next three days were spent in preparation, Glapp brought out all the beautiful china and silverware. The dining room was beautifully done in vases of pink peonies and the windows hung in gold curtains. It looked like something out of the 1920's.

The morning of Amelia's birthday, the girls were up in their room getting ready when Glapp knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Amelia called.

Glapp tottered into the room, a large white box with a pink bow, in her hands. "There's a package here for the little mistress!"

"She is so adorable!" Lavender whispered to Parvati.

"Thank you Glapp. How are the preparations coming?" She said graciously.

"Everything is in place, little mistress has done a very good job of making everything look so nice!" Amelia thanked the house elf again, set the gift on the bed and the girls all sat around it, eager to see what lay inside.

"Let's open it! I can't wait to see what it is!" Lavender squealed and bounced where she sat.

"There's a note here," Parvati passed a small piece of parchment to Amelia.

For Miss Amelia Merlin on her thirteenth birthday, Akkedis sends his regards.

Amelia snorted. Typical. Strangely enough, she wasn't frightened or even bothered. She was just curious to see what the gift was. Hopefully not something gruesome, otherwise it might freak the girls out a bit. Lavender had seen the eyeball he sent her but she had never once mentioned it to Amelia since.

"Who's it from?" Asked Parvati.

Amelia folded up the note and put it in her pocket. "An old uncle. He's a bit creepy and I think he's in love with my mother."

"Well he's obviously mad then." Lavender said loftily. "Can we please open this?"

"Yes yes!" Amelia laughed and ripped off the bow. They opened the box to reveal quite the sight.

It was a wonderfully simple and elegant pale blue dress. Layers of some light, ethereal fabric with short, wispy sleeves. The girls were stunned at the beauty of it.

"Oh Amelia. Your creepy uncle has marvellous taste." Parvati breathed.

Lavender clapped her hands together. "You must put it on right now! I bet it looks gorgeous on you!"

Amelia beamed and went to go put the dress on. She decided she didn't care that Akkedis had been the one to send it, it was a beautiful dress and if Amelia wanted to wear it then she would.

Amelia's friends shrieked when she came out in the dress. It had an open back and ended just above her knee. She laughed and did a little spin. "Pretty isn't it?"

"You look amazing!"

"I've never seen anyone so beautiful!"

They finished doing their hair, Lavender did Amelia's into loose curls that fell down her back. The girls walked down the grand staircase and just as they arrived, there was a knocking at the door.

Lavender squealed and Parvati had to tell her to calm down. Amelia went to go open the large oak doors.

"Oliver!" She beamed and gestured for him to come inside.

"You look -" he searched for a word. "Radiant."

Amelia laughed lightly and hugged him. He had grown quite tall since she last saw him and his dark curls had grown too.

"Maybe while you're here I should cut this." She tousled his hair lightly.

"And how do I know it would be as good as last time?" He chuckled and Amelia couldn't help how large her smile grew.

"You have to trust me, darling."